When the first episode of the show aired, everyone in the house was preparing for the weekend date.
To Ji Liuyue’s surprise, she also received a call from her agent.
Her agent had quite a few models under contract. Ji Liuyue was one of the more outstanding and beautiful ones among them, but no matter what she did, she just couldn’t become popular.
Whenever she appeared in a photoshoot, the stunning pictures would go viral—but she herself wouldn’t.
As time went by, her agent’s initial high hopes gradually faded, and she had even begun considering giving up on developing Ji Liuyue’s career.
This dating show was her last chance.
If Ji Liuyue failed to seize it, she would eventually fade into obscurity in the modeling world.
Besides, her agent had never expected her appearance on a dating show to make much of a splash. After all, the contract she had signed with the production team required her to play a troublesome female guest. She would probably be bombarded with criticism when the show aired.
“Hello, Sister Jing.” Ji Liuyue avoided the cameras and answered the call in the bathroom.
“The first episode of Season Three of Heartthrob Lovers aired. Have you watched it?”
“No. We still have to film today.”
“Look at me, I nearly forgot! Of course you haven’t. I just wanted to tell you that Liu Qingye’s company bought a whole lot of anti-fans to attack you. I originally thought your reputation was going to be ruined…” There was a trace of helplessness, as well as relief, in her agent’s voice.
“So my reputation isn’t ruined after all?” Ji Liuyue’s eyes flickered. She understood that public opinion probably hadn’t turned entirely against her.
“Right! Toward the end of the first episode, a group of viewers suddenly started defending you. If I didn’t know for sure that I hadn’t spent money hiring internet trolls, I would’ve thought the data was fake. Seriously, though, you caused way too much trouble and dropped way too many bombshells during the early part of the show.”
“Sister Jing, wasn’t that what the production team asked me to do?” Ji Liuyue said honestly.
Her agent had more or less left her to fend for herself before, but after watching this dating show, she had sensed a possibility that Ji Liuyue might actually become hugely popular.
She couldn’t help reminding her, “An assignment is an assignment. You can follow some instructions, but others can be done later—or done less aggressively. You’re smart enough to understand that without me spelling it out, right?”
“Sister Jing, am I really smart? You used to call me stupid all the time.” Ji Liuyue pouted.
“That was before. Forget it, let’s not bring that up… I’m telling you, although the production team intends to promote Liu Qingye as the main star, you might still be able to fight your way into the spotlight. I believe in you.”
“Sister Jing, don’t just say you believe in me! Liu Qingye’s company is even paying people to smear me. Can’t you help me hire some online supporters too? Hey, don’t hang up—”
Before she could finish, the call ended with a series of beeps.
Ji Liuyue helplessly curled her lips.
As expected of the shrewd Sister Jing—she hung up the moment money came up.
Fortunately, just before Ji Liuyue was about to leave, she received a text from her agent.
[The online supporters are being arranged. With your sister here handling things, you can rest easy.]
Ji Liuyue naturally trusted her. Her agent was quite capable; it was just that luck had never been on her side. Not one of the models she had signed had managed to break out and become a household name.
This time, not only did Ji Liuyue want to make a comeback, Sister Jing also wanted to fight a beautiful battle and turn things around.
The production team had arranged a group date for today.
The guests would be divided into two groups.
As for how the groups would be chosen, it would be completely random: by drawing lots.
Ji Liuyue received a message from the staff telling everyone to gather in the living room. The equipment and cameramen were already in place. Just as she pushed open her door, the door next to hers opened as well.
She instinctively looked over.
It happened to be Lu Nanxun.
He waved naturally and greeted her. “You saw the notice too? They’re calling us to the living room.”
“Mm.” Lu Nanxun nodded and quickly took two steps forward until he was standing beside her. “Want to go together?”
“Sure.”
The two of them had barely walked a few steps side by side when another door on their floor opened. This time, it was Liu Qingye.
The moment she opened the door, she noticed that one of the fish in her pond was with Ji Liuyue.
She was somewhat taken aback.
Before she could ask anything, Ji Liuyue had already said, “We’re going to gather in the living room. When I came out just now, I happened to see Lu Nanxun next door.”
The implication was clear.
Don’t worry. I’m not interested in Lu Nanxun, the man you went on a date with before.
Those words seemed to draw an immaculate line between her and Lu Nanxun.
Liu Qingye’s expression improved slightly, though she was still displeased. She felt that Ji Liuyue had deliberately said those words to make a sarcastic dig at her right in front of her.
What, did you really think you could lure away a fish from my pond? Dream on.
The same words could create entirely different impressions depending on who heard them.
When Lu Nanxun heard Ji Liuyue’s words, ripples stirred in his heart.
His chest felt tight.
For some reason, his mood suddenly grew gloomy as well.
He realized that Ji Liuyue seemed never to have had much of a favorable impression of him. From beginning to end, she had always been polite, courteous, and distant.
But she wasn’t like that around Xu Jinsi. The two of them joked and laughed together, bickering and fooling around.
Strange!
Why should he care about Ji Liuyue?
Lu Nanxun followed silently behind the two female guests.
The other guests had already arrived in the living room.
Xu Jinsi was sitting on the long sofa. When he saw Ji Liuyue arrive, he naturally patted the seat beside him.
“Come sit here.”
Ji Liuyue shook her head. “I’m sitting with Tiantian.”
Then she squeezed in affectionately beside her close friend.
Seeing this, Liu Qingye walked over and sat down beside Xu Jinsi without making a fuss.
Xu Jinsi’s expression immediately darkened. He frowned and kept his eyes fixed on Ji Liuyue, but she didn’t spare him even a glance.
They had clearly exchanged heart-flutter messages with each other.
What was wrong with her? He couldn’t figure her out at all.
Xu Jinsi couldn’t help letting his imagination run wild.
Could it be that she still found Lu Nanxun more attractive?
At that thought, his gaze fell on Lu Nanxun—only to discover that Lu Nanxun’s eyes were following Ji Liuyue as well.
That made him even more furious!
Damn it! He was so angry!
Xu Jinsi pressed his lips together and lowered his head, sulking by himself.
He completely ignored Liu Qingye when she tried to start a conversation with him. She didn’t find it awkward, however, and simply turned to chat with Ji Mingtian on her other side.
At that moment, the staff brought over the equipment for drawing lots.
This weekend’s group date would consist of all eight guests, who would be divided into two groups of two men and two women.
There were many small balls of different colors inside a transparent box. Each ball was hollow, with a slip of paper inside.
The slips of paper were labeled either “Sports Group” or “Food Group.”
The group each person drew would determine where they went.
After announcing the rules for the date, everyone looked at one another. Not a single person volunteered to draw first.
Ji Liuyue had already prepared herself mentally. She knew that this group date was probably a backdoor arrangement made by the production team for Liu Qingye. No matter how she drew, she wouldn’t end up in the same group as Lu Nanxun or Xu Jinsi.
So she simply stood up boldly and said, “Then I’ll draw first.”
